Melancholy
by jayblade14
Summary: Things are never as they appear. Alice Whitefield knows this. Everything in her small village home appears fine but something... something is wrong. People are vanishing and new people in black are appearing and it seems that they know her! How is Alice's small world going to handle the impact of the sudden changes? Please R & R but also read Corruption first!
1. Chapter 1

**ULTIMATE DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE ORIGINAL D'GRAY-MAN CHARACTERS! THE ONLY MAIN CHARACTER THAT IS MINE IS ALICE WHITEFIELD! PLEASE RESPECT THE AUTHOR AND DON'T GO AROUND SAYING THAT I CREATED THE MOST AMAZING CHARACTERS EVER! I'M JUST A SUPER FAN SHOWING MY SUPER FAN GEEKINESS!**

**Please enjoy! :D**

She knew this dream by heart now. It started with her floating, just floating, in a vast, dark area. She would then hear a voice, faintly, "No! Don't take her please!" A sad smile would cross her face, "Let me go… brother." She would then fall. Fall and fall. Then she would wake up.

It would be before dawn, three hours at least. Alice felt that this routine was mundane since she had nothing to at this time other than to climb out her bedroom window and sit on the roof as the sun rose in the distance. How long had she been doing this? For all she knew, it had just been this past year. This one long year was all she knew after all. Alice humphed and twirled the edge of her hair. Absent mindedly, she noted a couple of split ends. "Guess it's time to as Martha if she would be willing to give me a haircut." She sighed. The mornings were still chilly even though spring was not far off and some of the nights were beginning to heat up.

Alice watched as the sun rose above the horizon. Even though she couldn't remember beyond the last year, when she'd somehow managed to come live with Martha in her small bed and breakfast. The elder woman had welcomed her graciously into the home and thankfully was able to tell her a little bit about herself. She had come to this same bed and breakfast little over a year ago, after offering her a bit of help with some chores around the place, stayed the night and then disappeared into London saying something about an order of black or a black order, one of the two. Martha wasn't sure anymore. Speaking of the landowner…

She heard the distinct sounds of the front door opening and the clank of several tin buckets as she headed out to milk Shannon, the temperamental old cow in the barn. The animal never let Alice touch her, always kicking the bucket away from her grip. Then she would nip at her shoulders and face until Martha had to come take the chore away from her completely. "Don't let it bother ya lass," she'd reassured her, "Shannon doesn't like a lot of people. Old age has made her a little feisty."

Alice wasn't so sure that it was old age that drove the beast to hate her but she accepted it for now. She smiled as the minutes flew by. The landowner was coming from the barn. She moved to the edge of the roof, judged the distance, and jumped down.

Falling the twenty or so feet down to the ground never seemed to be a problem for her. She always landed up right, never hurting herself in anyway, and always silently which is why Martha never heard her coming. Alice reached down and took a bucket of the morning milk. Martha didn't even flinch anymore.

"Good morning lass. Where ya on the roof again this morning?" Alice nodded and took the other bucket as well.

"It was a good morning at last," she commented. "No rain."

"We've been getting quite a bit in the past month. Old William's poor garden won't be able to take much more of this."

Martha opened the front door for her. Alice slipped into the small kitchen and sat the milk on the table. "Yeah, we know. He's asked me yesterday to come by and help him finish putting a roof over them."

"Then you better hurry on over then before the next storm heads round. Lunch'll be ready by the time you get back." Alice nodded and headed out again with a wave.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Welcome to Chapter 2! I hate to say it, but things are going to be a little bit slow. If you've read _Corruption_ (the book/update/story thing you should probably read before you too far into this one), then you'd know I mentioned something about updating in the summer. Well... turns out, I don't have that much work so far and I got bored, so I updated early!**

**Please enjoy and please R & R!**

Alice slammed the hammer down for the last time that morning. She reached up and wiped the sweat from her forehead as she finished placing the final board on the make shift shelter for Old William's garden. "All done," she called down to the elderly man.

"Good job lass," he returned. "Why don't you come down now and help me load the wagon?" She started down the ladder.

"Are you going to London again?" Old William frequently took his small crops to the big city not too far from here to sell them for a little extra in his pocket.

"Not today. I'm just going into town this time." Alice smiled and stepped off the ladder. She hooked it over her shoulder.

"Mind dropping me off at Martha's in that case?"

"After all ya done for me lass? Not at all." She leaned the ladder against the side of his house. "If you'd like, you could even join me in going to town. Lunch'll be on me."

"Don't worry about it," she smiled. "I'll head to town with you but Martha has lunch made already. She's probably has enough for the both of us." He laughed.

"That sounds like Martha. Alright, I'll take you up on the offer then. Next time though, lunch is on me!" Together, they packed the back of his wagon with the vegetables that he had managed to grow inside his house during the winter months. They set off down the road, Old William chatting lightly with her the whole time. Walking had taken Alice about ten minutes to reach his home but in the wagon, it took less than five to return. Martha was not surprised when he followed Alice into the house. She rolled her eyes but gave him a plate of ham and potatoes as well. The meal was light and fun. Something in Alice's heart panged; this light airy feeling was something she apparently was not used to. It always made her feel sad to find these empty feelings because they were part of a life she couldn't remember. Lunch finished as the wind began to pick up a bit, signaling the return of the frequent rain.

"You two had best head off," Martha commented at the sink. "I'm not liking the looks of those clouds too much. You might have to ask Stan if you can set up shop in his place again William."

Old William chortled and waved a hand. "Stan won't mind a bit. Come on lass. I'm going to need your help getting the stuff in before the rains come." Alice nodded and stood from the table.

"Thanks for the meal Martha. I'll see you later!"

"Alright dear. Be careful!" Alice waved at her before following Old William out to his wagon. They set off yet again down the worn dirt road towards the little village to the south of the bed and breakfast. She knew it had a name. Did she remember the name? Never. Time, she figured, would eventually teach it to her since it didn't look like she was going to ever leave. Alice had taken note that since she arrived at Martha's bed and breakfast, her memory was faulty at best; for the first three months she could barely remember Martha's name, where she was, or what she was doing. It had even been a struggle to learn Old William's name at one point too. She swung her legs as the wagon bounced over a couple of rocks in the road. She hummed a little bit. She starred back at the road they'd just left; the storm clouds were almost upon them.


	3. Chapter 3

The rain came when they were, thankfully, in town and able to dash into Stan's shop. Stan, a large hulking man with a large mustache, leaned over his counter to see who had entered. He smiled upon seeing them.

"Well, if it isn't Old William and Martha's girl. How are you two?"

"Drenched," William replied, taking off his coat to hang it on the coat rack at the front door. "This weather is getting worse and worse by the day."

"I'll say. My cousin Bill's having some trouble with his fields because of it. If it keeps up at this rate…"

"We'll be out of food. I know. Your brother Bill has enough crops to normally feed everyone in this town without a problem. I'd hate for us to have to turn to London in order to get some food for the children."

"Still got that independent spirit eh?"

"You bet your sweet buns I do," William laughed as he moved to the other side of the room. There was a firing burning there. He took a seat in one of the large, over stuffed arm-chairs. Alice sat across from him, bending her knees up to tuck them under her chin.

"I bet you two would fancy a thing of warm tea?" Stan moved from behind his counter, behind them, and out through a door on Alice's right. "You two looked chilled. Best to keep you warm so we don't have to call…"

"Oh please," William snorted. "I don't need to see that old coot. I'm healthy. A little rain and a little cold won't kill me."

"Don't be too sure of that," Stan called from the other room. He returned to the doorway, wiping his hands on his apron. A few pieces of tea leaves fell to the ground. "I hear, people have been disappearing during this rain storms."

"What? People just don't disappear." Stan nodded.

"It's true. Harold the black smith's wife never returned once she went out to get a few things, Lindsay says her brother's been missing for some time and, here's the best one, the whole Longbottom family just disappeared." William waved a hand.

"She probably ran off with another man considering how badly Harold treated her, he probably is at some whore house enjoying himself, and they probably just moved away."

"You have an answer for everything don't you William? Here's how I know you're wrong: how do you explain each one of them not taking a thing with them? Especially the Longbottom family? When the wife's cousin, Patricia, went to collect the kids for the weekend, the house was still packed to the brim with their stuff: couches, beds, toys, clothes, and the fine china." For once, the elder man was at a loss for words. "See? There isn't any real logical explanation for it. How much ya wanna bet that someone else is going to be missing once this storm clears up?"

"I'm not much one for betting and you know it Stan," William huffed. The younger man smiled and turned back into the kitchen. He reemerged several minutes later with a tray laden with biscuits and cups. "Mia told me to bring these out for ya too." Alice sat up and stretched a bit as he sat the tray down on the small table in between the two chairs. She reached for one of the cups and the chocolate delights. Old William followed suit. He started to sip the tea before remembering that he had been ordered by the "doctor" to take his medicine but…

"Oh darn it all," he muttered. Alice stopped sipping to look at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Blast it all. I left my medicine out in the wagon." He started to stand. Alice beat him with a smile.

"I'll get it for you. It's in that part under the front seat right?" He sat back down and nodded. She walked back to the front door, eyed the still pouring rain, and, with a sigh, stepped out into the monsoon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone!**

**I am so sorry for the lack of updating. I think I mentioned this before but I was at the end of a College semester and was having to deal with everything from projects to speeches to exams in the span of a couple of weeks! What a way to end a semester!**

**It also didn't help that this summer, my computer broke. I'm avoiding using it in case it falls completely apart on me. Again, I apologize for the lack of updating.**

**Anyway, Melancholy has returned and is up to Chapter 10. I'll try to update daily for now (and I will be on vacation come July 6 so it'll be questionable when I can continue after that). For now, please enjoy the continuation of Melancholy!**

Alice felt that if she hadn't put on a couple of pounds since arriving at the bed and breakfast, she probably would have been blown away by the winds alone. She shielded her eyes from the rain. A small part in the back of her mind called her an idiot for taking up the task. Just walking from the front door to the wagon was a battle within itself. Somehow, she reached it. Relief washed over her as she moved to the front and reached under the main seat to pull out a small bag filled with medicine. She smiled triumphantly.

She pocketed the treasure and turned to head back in. Despite the pouring rain, she heard a loud crash and a scream somewhere to her left. Alice squinted. There was an alleyway not too far off, she knew. Blinded still by the rain, she took off running. The ground was slick and made it hard for her to turn into the alleyway without sliding all over the place.

"I have got to be in some twisted dream," she thought. In front of her, maybe five or ten feet back into the alley was a large dark figure. It was hunched over but she could clearly see that it could stand taller than the buildings around it. Something moved behind it. It was a shadow-tail, she realized. It hadn't heard her, the rain drowned out her sound, so quickly, she backed out of the alley way and turned to run back to the store.

Or not. Something wrapped around her ankle, preventing her from running. Alice fell with a heavy thud into the ground. She was lifted and hung upside down. The creature raised her to eye level and gave a hiss. She felt that the world was going to spin away and she would wake up in the afterlife.

"Please God," she cried, "I'm not ready to die!" The creature gave a smirk.

"You think your horrible God will save you?" Ice traveled down Alice's back. The thing could talk? What in the world? It hissed again and lunged to bite her face. Alice closed her eyes. She braced herself for the pain that she knew was about to follow.


	5. Chapter 5

The pain she was expecting never came. A loud explosion shook the alleyway and caused the creature to lurch forward to the ground. Its tail released her. She landed in the mud.

"You weren't planning to eat another human now were you Akuma," a voice asked. Alice lifted her mud splattered head to see who it was. At the opposite end of the alley, there stood a person, cloaked in all white, the brave soul, but they were also wearing a mask. She blinked. This was getting too crazy even for her. The creature, the Akuma the person had called it, slithered around and back up the alley, forgetting about its prey. It unleashed another hiss and rushed at the person. The person cleared it in one bound. They dragged something down the spine of the creature and it cried out, swinging its tail. The person dodged it and landed in front of her. Now that they were closer, Alice could tell that it was a man fighting the creature. He looked back at her and she could have sworn his eyes widened at her.

He asked her something but had to move because the Akuma swung its tail again and was turning around for a second rush. Alice decided that the mud laden ground was no longer safe. She scrambled to her feet while slipping and sliding everywhere and ran back to the store.

She slammed the door and collapsed against it. Old William and Stan eyed her worriedly before rushing over to her side. "Good God lass," Old Will cried while grabbing her under the arm, "What happened?" She gulped in air.

"M- Monster… There was … a monster." The two men eyed each other. Stan went behind his store counter and reached for his gun.

"Will, get the girl and yourself into the hide away. Grab Mia and the baby too. I'm going to lock things up and join you shortly." Old Will nodded and pulled Alice to her feet. Mia, having heard the door slam, was standing outside the kitchen.

"What happened," she asked Old Will.

"The girl says she saw a monster outside."

"A monster? Can we be sure?"

"I'd trust this girl with my life," Old Will confirmed. "She's not one for makin' stuff up so if there is something out there, she's not lying about it. Go grab your baby Mia and get into the shelter." The woman nodded and turned to run up the stairs in the kitchen to get her baby. Old Will held Alice's hand and put his other on her back. "Easy lass, I got you." She could feel her whole body shaking and the cold was finally settling into her bones. They reached the top of the stairs with little problem. Mia was right behind them, her arms cradling the baby as best as she could while running. The baby slept peacefully despite his mother's movements. Will sat Alice down on the lone bed and went back to brace the door. There was another gun in the corner. He picked it up and sat, starring at the door. Now, came the waiting.


	6. Chapter 6

Alice wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Her body was still shaking and the cold was setting in heavily now; the shakes eventually turned to shivers. Mia noticed, sat her baby in the spare crib, and went to wrap her shawl around the younger girl. She also rested her arms on her shoulders. "Are you alright Alice?" Alice blinked several times before nodding.

"I'm alright. Just shaken up a bit."

"What did you see out there?" She hesitated again, unsure of what to say. Now that she was a tiny bit calmer and able to more calmly think about the situation, seeing a monster was ridiculous.

"I… I really don't know. It… It was huge and…" she gasped "Someone was out there! There was a man out there fighting it!" The two adults shared a look of concern. "I swear there was a man out there and he… he was fighting the thing with this weird weapon on his arm and… he wore a black robe…"

"A black priest?"

"Not like a priest! It was different than a priest uniform." She squinted, trying to remember the man she'd seen. "There was red on his outfit. That's all I remember." Old Will patted her on the shoulder.

"That's enough lass. You're shook up something bad. Just get warm now and try to calm down. We'll wait until the storm passes and then we'll see what's been done outside." Alice nodded. Her shivers were subsiding a bit. Mia stood and pushed the girl's shoulder onto the bed gently.

"William's right. Rest now. Everything will be over soon." Alice nodded again and curled up on the bed. She was asleep before she could even mutter thank-you.


	7. Chapter 7

Alice was first aware of the sunlight hitting her in the face. She was then aware that the baby wasn't crying or even remotely breathing in her vicinity; it probably meant that no one was in the room and the danger had passed. She sat up and the thick cover that someone had slid over her fell to her waist. After rubbing her eyes clean of all sleep leftovers, she stood, stretched, and turned to make the bed. There was a knock at the door. She didn't turn to see who entered as she finished her chore.

"Alice, you're awake," Stan noted. In his hands was a tray laden with what smelled like soup, fresh bread, and a sliced fruit or two. Alice noticed that the smell made her stomach grumble. Stan moved to the tiny table in the corner of the room and sat the tray down. "Mia figured you'd be hungry when you woke up so she fixed you something to eat."

"I'll tell her thank-you when I come downstairs. I'll wash the dishes as well..." Stan waved a hand.

"Forget about it Alice. You've already done enough for my family as is." She eyed him since she wasn't quite sure what he meant. "I saw the thing you told us about last night. I saw it too. In my book, you saved my family's life Alice. I don't think we'll ever be able to repay you." Alice took a seat at one of the two chairs at the table. Stan took the other.

"What happened after I fell asleep?" She took a chunk of bread and dipped it into the soup. It was delicious to her empty stomach.

"I ran outside to see what you were making a fuss about and I ran into the monster just as you described. There was already someone else there and it looked like the two were duking it out something fierce. I started firin' in hopes of given the guy a little bit of a hand. No such luck. The damn thing waved it's tail and I was on the ground faster than you could spit. Suddenly, there were three others. The two men went to face the creature with the other one and the woman helped me back home. She ordered us to stay inside. I never caught a name but I came up here and waited. The next thing any of us knew, the sun was shinin' and everything seemed to have quieted down. I went and checked and sure enough, everything was gone. Monster and people both." Alice finished off the soup and started on the fruit. "If it wasn't for a couple of large scratches in the walls or the holes in the ground, I would've said it never happened." She finished her meal.

"How long was I asleep?"

"A day now. Old Will left last night. Said he'd be back for you today. Weather permitting." She nodded. Stan took the tray and headed for the door. Before he completely disappeared, he called back to her, "The bathroom is open right now if you want to clean up a bit. Mia left one of her old dresses in there since your clothing is a little dirty right now. She apologizes since she's never owned a pair of breeches before in her life. Second door on the right."

Alice smiled as she walked out of the safe room and into the tiny, yet long, hallway. She found the door Stan mentioned and slipped inside. Seeing a bathtub with warm soapy water never made her feel so relaxed in her whole life. She tore the muddy clothing off her back and jumped in without hesitation. The water was just right. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned her head back against the edge of the tub. Some of her muscles were sore from where the creature had slung her around in the mud. She dove under the water. Something... something felt familiar about the thing. Like she'd seen it before. That was impossible. She'd never seen anything like it before. Unless...

It was a long shot but Alice figured that her forgotten past might hold the answer to it. Why couldn't she remember that thing? Wasn't it something kinda important to know? Alice shook her head and surfaced, gulping in large amounts of air. Very quickly the water turned murky so she decided to get out. The dress was sitting on a counter. It was a light yellow, laced with white and was probably the perfect summer dress. She slid into it once she was dried. Amazingly, it fit. Mia, Alice noted, had gained a little weight since she was carrying her child so this dress was probably not that old; it felt new. She found a brush in one of the cabinets. It was maybe twenty minutes later that she walked out of the bathroom. Her hair had given a valiant effort in its attempts to not be brushed but it had eventually surrendered. Mia was downstairs in the kitchen when Alice finally appeared. She smiled at the younger woman.

"I'm glad it fits dear," she beamed. Alice curstied.

"I'll be sure to bring it back once I wash it." Mia waved a hand.

"Keep it child. The good Lord knows that I've gained some weight which I probably won't be puttin' off any time soon. Stan wants three kids; you do the math." Alice felt her face turn scarlet. Mia chuckled. "Anyway, I bought that dress right after I started gaining weight. I'd forgotten that I wasn't as small as I used to be so it's new, never worn, and it looks good on you."

"Thank-you but really, you should take it back. You might have a daughter one day and besides, I do too much rough work to wear a dress that often. I'd hate to damage it or leave it in a closet for the next eternity."

"Oh sweetie..."

"I'll send it back first thing tomorrow!" Before Mia could argue the fact even more, Alice ran out kitchen to the front of the store. Stan was behind the counter stacking some of the shelves with new merchandise.

"Ah Alice. All cleaned up I see." She smiled up at him as she leaned against the counter.

"I am. I have to apologize for your bathtub though. I got it a little muddy..."

"It's alright. It's the least we can do for you since you did give us a heads up about the monster." He turned to face her. "Mia will have it cleaned up in no time. Oh yeah. Old Will phoned up here not too long ago. Was askin' about ya. Told him you were up and read to go and he said he'd be right over. He should be here any minute now. Would you mind handing me that bag of flour on the floor next to you?" Alice looked down to her left and saw the large burlap bag. She reached for it. It weighed a good bit but it was nothing she wasn't used to. She hoisted it onto the counter for him to take. "Thank-you."

"Any time." A little bell chimed the opening of the front door. Stan leaned over the counter to see around the bag of flour.

"Welcome sir. Can I get anything for you today?" Alice turned to eye the stranger as well. He stood a little taller than she was and his hair was completely white which was odd because he didn't look that old. Over his left eye was an odd scar which started as an upside down star on top and tapered into a narrow line, ending just under his eye. He work a single gold earring on his right ear. Everything else about him was black and red. He smiled at Stan.

"I need to get a couple of pieces of cloth for medical purposes if you have any."

"Medical purposes? Yeah I got a few in the back if you're willing to wait a minute."

"I'm in no rush. Take your time." Stan smiled at Alice and took off into the back of his store, leaving the two of them alone. Alice stared at the counter as hard as she could. Despite everything that happened the night before, it couldn't be a coincidence that the red-and-black uniform that she'd seen fighting the monster was standing right next to her. She wanted to turn and ask him every burning question that was sitting on her tongue but knew it probably wasn't a tactful decision. He was purchasing medical bandages which meant someone was hurt. He probably needed... but he'd said... Her head starting spinning and she braced herself against the counter. "Are you alright miss? You don't look so good." She glanced up at him.

"I... I'm alright. I've been sick since yesterday so I shouldn't really be over doing it." She pushed away from the counter. Her feet directed her to one of the two chairs that she and Old Will had occupied the night before but a hand on her arm suddenly stopped her. She paused completely unsure of what to do. The stranger broke the silence.

"Are... Are you Alice Whitefield?"


	8. Chapter 8

Alice felt her muscles tighten. Whitefield? Was that her name? How had this stranger known the simple fact that Alice was her name anyway? "You are Alice aren't you? Alice Whitefield?" He spun her around to face him, gripping both of her shoulders. She avoid his gaze. "Please, answer me. Are you? It's me Allen. Don't you recognize me?"

"I... I...I..." The words were having difficulty coming from her mouth. The doorbell tingled again.

"Well, what's going on here? Alice? Is everything alright?" Alice and Allen turned to look at the elderly figure of Old Will. Allen blinked and realized that he was gripping Alice's shoulders pretty hard. He released them quickly.

"S-Sorry about that. I got a little carried away." She eyed him carefully before making her way around him to Old Will's side. Her smiled felt plastered to her face as she told the old man, "Everything's fine. Let's just get out of here." Before he could really ask any questions, Alice stepped outside and then up onto the wagon.

Allen felt his heart sinking as he watched Alice leave without a word. Something in his shirt squirmed, and wriggling its way free, floated up to his head. Allen's eyes widened as he took off for the door. "Timcanpy," he ordered the tiny golden golem, "follow that wagon. Let me know where they're going!" Tim took off without hesitation to follow the said wagon. Relief washed over the exorcist. Now he would be able to tell the others the amazing news.

Alice is alive!


	9. Chapter 9

"There's no way that's possible," the man with long bluish-colored hair barked at Allen later that night. Yuu Kanda was well known amongst the Black Order for being anti-social and temperamental and his favorite past time was getting into fights with Allen "Bean-sprout" Walker. Allen nodded and gripped the knees of his pants.

"It shouldn't be possible," Allen agreed, "but it is. I saw her for myself today and last night while we were fighting that Akuma. I thought I was dreaming but it really is her."

"Geez then what are we sitting around here for," another red haired man asked. He was leaned up against the wall with his one revealed eye closed. "I say we go get her."

"I don't think it's that simple Lavi," the fourth excorcist commented. "I'm pretty sure Allen would have taken her right away if he didn't think something was wrong." Allen felt a soft smile cross his lips. Knowing that Lenalee Lee had his back was a pretty good feeling.

"Then what are we suppose to do," Lavi snapped. "She's been missing for over a year now. We all thought she was dead. Why didn't she come back by herself?"

"I think... I think it's possible that she's lost her memories," Allen mumbled. "When I asked her if she recognized me, all she did was stutter. She didn't even react to her name. I think all she knows is that her name is Alice. Nothing more, nothing less."

"All the more reason that we should get her," Lavi added. "If she doesn't remember, then she could be in a lot of danger. The Akuma attacks in this area have been going off the charts lately and now we know why. Alice is in the area which means she could still have a connection to that Corruption stuff and the akuma are hunting it down." The air in the room turned to ice as everyone remembered the events from little over a year ago. None of them wanted to relive that moment; ever.

"I don't think taking her would be a wise idea," Kanda cut in before Lavi could argue more. For a Bookman apprentice, Lavi sure did have a temperamental way of getting things done.

"And why not," he challenged.

"Well for one thing, we can't be sure if the akuma are actually targeting the girl or if they're just increasing their activity in this area for another reason."

"That's still not one hundred percent guarantee Yuu." That did it. The sword exorcist pulled out his Mugen and held it up to the stupid rabbit's throat.

"Wanna fight about it?" Lavi reached for his hammer.

"Maybe we should." The room was tense for several minutes before Lenalee stood and delivered a sharp kick to both of their shins. They crumbled.

"Enough you two! Fighting won't get us anywhere. Besides, Miranda doesn't need to waste her energy repairing the mess you two will make." The second female exorcist in the room smiled faintly at Lenalee. The two boys stood, glared at each other, and turned away in huff. Allen stood. He moved towards the window as everyone watched. Within minutes, Timcanpy returned.

"Timcanpy," Lenalee and Miranda cheered. He flew over to Lenalee to snuggle for a minute before flying playfully around Miranda's head.

"I get it," Lavi mumbled. "You had Tim follow them so that we could figure out where she is."

"I was trying to tell you that when you and Kanda got into it. Tim?" The little golem landed on Miranda's hair and looked at his master. "Tim? Can you direct us to where Alice is?" He nodded furiously which ruffled Miranda's hair a bit. "Great. First thing in the morning, we can head out to where Alice is."

"What do you have planned Allen," Miranda asked. Allen looked at the table.

"Right now, we need to let Komui know that we found Alice. Then I think it would be best if we watched her for a bit. If we take her back to the Order by force, it could spell trouble. Especially if that damn Corruption still has a hold on her." Allen felt his hands clench and unclench. _And there's no way in hell I'm letting that thing have its way with her again!_


	10. Chapter 10

For the first time in a long time, Alice didn't wake three hours before the sun even rose nor did she have the weird falling dream. She woke just a little after dawn. She washed her face, combed her hair, pulled what little of it back that she could and went down to find Martha for her morning chores. Martha was already in the kitchen making the daily bread. Their reunion the afternoon before had been a teary one on Martha's part. She'd instantly pulled Alice into a tight embrace and demanded to know if anything was hurt. She then made a comment about how pretty that dress was on her before pulling her back into an embrace.

Another of those sad empty feelings had burrowed its way out of her chest while she hugged the older woman. It made the moment a little colder which is probably what she needed. Martha heard her approach and looked up with a smile. "Good mornin' lass. You're finally up."

"Yes ma'am. Did you leave me any chores this morning?" Her smile widened.

"Of course I did. I can't be choppin' those logs on orders of the doctor. You best head out and get started before the sun gets too high. Breakfast'll be ready by the time you finish up!" Alice nodded and headed out the front door. The sun was rising high that morning and there wasn't a sign of a black cloud anywhere. She hoped that whatever was causing the freak weather (could it have been that monster?) was finished making the weather highly unpredictable. In the waistband of her pants, she pulled a worn, dirty cloth and wrapped it around her head.

Very quickly she found the rhythm she needed to get the job done quickly. Place, chop, pull, place, chop, pull, place, chop... Someone tapped her on the shoulder. Startled, she spun, swinging the axe around to face the person. They moved back quickly and raised their hands. "Easy. I just came to ask a quick question." Alice noticed that she was speaking to a female with short greenish hued hair. Behind her was another another female only with black hair. They both wore dark long jackets which instantly made her suspicious but she shook the doubt away. They were just women, probably passing through, who came to the village expecting rain. Alice dropped the axe.

"Sorry about that. I didn't hear you coming while I was chopping the wood." The young woman smiled. If Alice knew her age, which she didn't, she would've guessed that this woman was older than herself; five years at least.

"It's alright. I'm to blame too. I guess I wasn't being noisy enough to let you hear me." She dropped her hands. "Anyway, my friend and I were staying in town but decided that things were a little too... drab for our taste. We noticed this place when we were heading into town. Is it an inn?" Alice nodded and pointed to the front door.

"Yes ma'am. You'll be wantin' to speak to Martha about room for the two of you."

"Oh alright. Thank-you." The women turned to leave but the green haired girl stopped. "Can I ask a favor of you? We have three friends who had to stay in town for a bit. When they get here, could you bring them up to our room?" Alice shrugged but nodded. She wasn't sure why she would have to bring anyone anywhere, seeing as the bed and breakfast was pretty self explanatory but decided to just do as the client requested. If she said no, Martha was sure to box her ears or worse.


End file.
